SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino today said giving more public workers the choice of a 401(k)-type retirement plan would help alleviate pension bills weighing down cities like Syracuse.

The current array of six pension tiers in New York mainly use a defined-benefit system.

"It's extraordinarily expensive," said Astorino on a stop in Syracuse.

"So I think a separate, maybe Tier VII, would have to be negotiated," Astorino said, "to give at least the employees the option of portability and defined contribution, or a hybrid. But that's ground-breaking."

It would be ground-breaking if Astorino could get the idea past strong union opposition in a heavily Democratic state. The idea itself? Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has already tried it.

Two years ago, Cuomo proposed Tier VI, which called for offering newly hired public workers the choice of opting into a defined-contribution plan, much like a 401(k) retirement plan.

Astorino made the comments as part of a four-city tour of the state, one day after state Republicans designated him as their candidate for governor. Astorino, along with running-mate Chemung Sheriff Christopher Moss, also visited Schenectady and Utica before going onto Rochester.